Kobe to Dwight Howard in Lakers’ Meeting: Let Me Teach you How to be a Champion

It’s one of the things that interested me about the Dwight Howard free agency and all the teams attempting to appease him and make their intentions known.

The teams might be willing to beg. I think the Lakers made that clear with all the billboards pleading with the all-star center to return to Los Angeles. They would be willing to roll out the red carpets and do everything in their power to attract Dwight. They would bring along current and former players, legends of the game to help convince Howard that their team and city was the place to be.

Bryant was present during the Lakers presentation to Howard. Reportedly his message was very clear and direct when speaking to Dwight (would you expect anything else from Kobe?). Let me teach you how to be a champion.

“You need to learn how it’s done first, and I can teach you here,” Bryant told Howard during the Lakers’ presentation, witnesses in the room described to Yahoo! Sports.

“You have to learn how it’s done,” Bryant told Howard, witnesses described. “I know how to do it and I’ve learned from the best – players who have won multiple times over and over.”

“Instead of trying to do things your way, just listen and learn and tweak it, so it fits you,” Bryant told him.

To a different player? I think that might have been the best message for somebody trying to win a championship.

But how important are rings to Dwight? I honestly don’t know and that’s why I question whether or not the Black Mamba’s words will hold serious weight.

The pressure is great in LA. Playing alongside Kobe Bryant isn’t easy and many have speculated that Howard would prefer the lesser expectations that would accompany him were he to sign with Houston and Dallas. We’ll have to see how it plays out when Dwight announces his decision.

For the most part though, Kobe’s message shouldn’t be that big of a surprise.